Dynaslew collared front-running Silver
Reunion with a furlong to go and went on to post a half-length victory Saturday
afternoon in the 22nd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa
Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

Patiently
ridden by Eibar Coa, the 4-year-old Dynaformer filly sat just two lengths behind
Silver Reunion, who led the field of 10 fillies and mares through opening
fractions of 23.44, 47.54 and 1:11.15 over the firm Inner Turf course. Silver
Reunion straightened for home with a clear lead, but Dynaslew was just hitting
her best stride and after battling briefly with the pacesetter, began edging to
the front and hit the wire in 1:40.58 for the 1 1/16th miles.

“In the stretch, she just kept digging and digging and
digging,” said Coa of Dynaslew, whose previous graded stakes victory came in the
Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park in May. “She never stopped
running.”

The victory was
the third in five starts this year for Dynaslew, who in her previous start
finished fourth, beaten just a neck, by Proviso in the Grade 1 Diana at the Spa
on July 31.

Trained by Seth
Benzel for Live Oak Plantation, she earned $240,000 for the victory, nearly
doubling her bankroll to $486,850. Overall, Dynaslew is 5-4-0 from 13
starts.

“I was real
happy with our position,” said Benzel. “Eibar has ridden this horse to a ‘T.’
Dynaslew is a versatile filly who doesn’t need to have the lead … Eibar felt our
filly had that option, but she didn’t need it to win. It’s a perfect union
between the two.”

The homebred
Dynaslew returned $17.60 for a $2 win bet.

De La Rose
winner Miss Keller closed well on the far outside to gain third, a length back,
and was followed under the wire by Danzon, Scolara, Strike the Bell, Maram,
favored Phola, Cherokee Queen, and Mekong Melody.

“She’s probably
a filly that needs a little softer ground,” said Todd Pletcher, trainer of the
beaten favorite. “We were hoping with the rain earlier in the week that the
ground would have more of a cut in it, but the course seems to be playing pretty
firm today.”